The Wrybill Newsletter of the Canterbury Region, Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Regional representative: Jan Walker 305 Kennedys Bush Road, Christchurch 8025 Ph 03 322 7187. Email: [email protected]

July 2010

What's on at OSNZ Canterbury: June to December 2010

Indoor Meetings

Evening meetings take place at 7.30pm on the last Monday of the month at the Mahaanui Area DOC office, 31 Nga Mahi Drive, off Blenheim Road, Sockburn. Plenty of parking is available at the premises and on the road.

Monday 26th July: Lorna Depp from Canterbury University will talk about her current PhD work on the Chatham Island Albatross.

Monday 30th August: Simon Elkington from DoC will speak about the conservation of the Orange- fronted Parakeet.

Monday 27th September: Peter Langlands will explain the work he has been doing for DoC on “The National Bittern Database and the Conservation of Bittern in Canterbury.”

Monday 1st November: Dr Frances Schmechel, Ecan ecologist will talk about Ecan bird monitoring projects including braided river and Banks Peninsula 5-Minute Bird Counts.

Monday 29th November: Dr Laura Molles will update us on the Tui Translocation Project on Banks Peninsula.

Field Meetings

Saturday 17th July (back-up 18th July): Ashburton Lakes Waterbird count. Early start to get to Mt Somers where groups are sent out to each lake. Meet promptly at 7.45am at Islington Tavern, first pub after leaving Hornby, Main South Road on right at entrance to Templeton just after Alpine View motor camp/motel. Contact, as soon as possible, Ron Nilsson, [email protected] or Jan, [email protected], so they know numbers and can organise car pooling.

Saturday 14th August: North Canterbury birding and picnic. Meet Belfast Tavern just before motorway, 9am. Contact Bev, [email protected]

Saturday 11th September: Welcome back to the waders at Southshore Spit, New Brighton, with Forest and Bird, starting at 3pm. Contact Nick, [email protected]

Saturday 2nd October: Ashley River Survey. Meet at south side of Ashley River Bridge on Loburn Road

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out of Rangiora, 9am. Contact Eric Spurr, [email protected] Tel: 03-313-8283 or 027-210-3883, or Bev as above.

Weekend 15th-17th October: Peel Forest. Bush and river birds. Contact Ron Nilsson, [email protected], Tel: 338-8936.

Saturday 20th November: Ashley River Survey – details as for 2nd October.

Saturday 4th December: Summer Wader Count, Lake Ellesmere followed by BBQ at Colin and Cherry Hill's. Contact Colin Hill, [email protected] or Jan. Meet at end Embankment Road, Greenpark at 9am.

*Any members interested in a Field Trip to Auckland to visit places such as Miranda Bird Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and the sewage works, please contact Nick Allen or Jan Walker, emails above.

Droppings from the Regional Rep Miskelly and Murray Williams, both from Wellington. Peter Frost from Whanganui was confirmed as a Councillor after being co-opted You will have found the programme for the previously. There is no-one from Christchurch next six months preceding this dropping. This currently on the Council, though there are a few alteration was made to make the meetings list from Dunedin and Nelson. more accessible and easier for people to print off. You may only need to set the printer for 2 The RRs’ meeting takes place the day before the pages at most. Please let us know if you have Conference begins and was very full with topics any comments on this change. this year. These are the main points: The annual OSNZ AGM and Conference was A National Survey of Caspian Tern colonies is held in Nelson this year and attracted over 130 proposed for 2011-2013. This is presently being members, 21 of them from Canterbury. The considered by the Scientific Committee of the food wasn’t quite up to our expectations, given Council for its methodology and practice aspects. the previous fare at the Shorebird conference, but we are in straightened times and the A possible reduced membership fee for over 65s caterers had changed. The scientific day papers will be examined. Otherwise the Ordinary fee were excellent; I think the use of power-point will go up to $70 per annum. greatly enhances the style of presentation nowadays, but it doesn’t make up for shoddy Regional advocacy of our purpose as a Society data, though this was mostly absent. There should be made through press releases were some good papers about braided river and advertising of our meetings etc. birds which we in Canterbury are much involved with, so this made for fascinating We should circulate a list of good speakers and listening. talks around the branches, to help those who find it hard to get speakers. As usual, rain fell in abundance on the fieldtrip day, but a small group much enjoyed a visit to In order to broaden the appeal of OSNZ we the Nelson Lakes Mainland Island at Lake need to emphasize the particular skills we can Rotoiti, in relatively mild drizzle. The 60 or so offer in terms of accurate bird recognition and who chose the boat up the Abel Tasman Coast effective bird studies that include ‘hands-on’ to Totoranui had to weather large swell, rain experience of birds such as bird banding. and lack of birds, though 2 Reef Herons were More local training for 5-minute bird counts seen. Most of the Monday morning half-day was suggested to increase the involvement of trips were cancelled. OSNZ in productive research. Two new Councillors were elected, Colin Should Canterbury take up the offer of extra 2 The Wrybill - July 2010

Southern Bird copies to be placed in public busy checking out good spots for the bird during libraries, waiting rooms etc? This would be in the autumn, with some success, apparently. order to stimulate more local interest in birds. Some superb photos of birds in Iceland accompanied Kath Varcoe and Liz Burtt’s talk in Inter-regional projects, camps and weekends April and in May Paul Scofield gave us his should be encouraged. intriguing and problematical expose of the birds of Miocene NZ through the results of the St A redesign of nest record cards and of moult Bathan’s excavation. cards is being considered. The Farewell to the Godwits event was well The 2011 Conference will be in Upper Hutt, populated. Members with scopes showed Wellington Region. There will probably be 2 hundreds of people how to recognize wading scientific days of papers. As Wellington has birds. Many membership forms were more scientists per sq.metre than any other city, distributed, so people at least know we exist. they will have no problem filling the slots. We also attended the ‘Soggy Feet at Boggy Some of the indoor days may be offering Creek’ event for World Wetland Day at the end workshops with hands-on moult training, of January and again showed people waterbirds banding training, etc. at Lake Ellesmere. If you hear of an event that has a bird or ecology connection that we could Proceedings of the AGM will be published in the take our publicity posters to, please let us know. September issue of Southern Bird. In late June I spent the day at Diamond Harbour But an important part of that meeting was the with groups from around Lyttelton Harbour at a awarding of a Meritorious Service Award to one workshop talking about Indigenous Biodiversity. of our longest serving Canterbury birders, Sheila, Ann and I continue to do 5-minute bird Kathleen Harrison. A profile of Kathleen’s counts at several places along the Port Hills and birding exploits will appear in the next Wrybill. a few on Banks Peninsula to add data to the valuable set being built up. If you are keen to get involved with this, we can provide training and there will be a lot of bush areas that would benefit from your counts.

Jan Walker

Recent Sightings

Late January: Jan Walker and Sheila Petch Photo: Ann Sherlock found Greenpark Sands “wall to wall with small Kathleen receives her Award from Jan waders” including 17 Pacific Golden Plovers, 6 Our meetings over the last few months have Turnstones, 3 Red Knots, 25 Bar-tailed Godwits, been memorable and well-attended, culminating 3 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, ~20 Red-necked in June’s talk on Black Robins. Twenty-nine Stints, hundreds of Wrybills and thousands of people were treated to a wonderful summary of Pied Stilts. Andrew Crossland commented on Euan Kennedy’s research into the extinction the northward migration of Wrybill, Banded vulnerability of the species, related to its Dotterel, SIPO and Caspian Terns. Wrybill and genetics. Dave Bell came to the Members Night Bandies fly parallel to the Port Hills from Lake in February and gave a great presentation on the Ellesmere up the Avon-Heathcote Estuary and Falcon and the sightings database that he then northwards along Pegasus Bay. Ben manages. Our members had interesting slots on Rodriguez reported a Skua at Cooper's Lagoon. Kakapo-minding, Wrybills, and birds in the UK. While involved in World Wetland Day at Lake Ellesmere Jan saw 5 Cattle Egrets, 2 in breeding Ron Nilsson talked on ‘The South Island Kokako plumage, at Boggy Creek. Jan wondered if Story’ after the AGM in March and has been Cattle Egrets could be summering over and even 3 The Wrybill - July 2010 breeding here. April: Jan and Sheila saw a Bittern at Embankment road. Steve and Colin's survey of February: Andrew and Phill Crutchley found a Lake Ellesmere revealed 272 Wrybills, 22 Red- possible Mongolian Plover among ~500 necked Stints, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, 25 Pacific Banded Dotterels at Kaitorete Spit. On an Golden Plovers, a White Heron, 7 Sharp-tailed Albatross Encounter expedition from Kaikoura Sandpipers, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Turnstone, a Alex Thompson saw a Great Shearwater, Caspian Tern and a Royal Spoonbill. There possibly only the third sighting of this bird in were no Red Knots or Little Stint. Andrew NZ according to Paul Scofield. The Glossy Ibis summarised Skuas seen in the past few weeks – returned to Travis Wetland on the 16th, in 5 Kaitorete Spit, 12 Birdlings Flat, 5 Rakaia breeding plumage. Bev Alexander and Jill Rivermouth, 3 Avon/Heathcote Estuary and Hanna both reported 9 Cattle Egrets, 4 in frequent sightings of birds along Pegasus Bay, breeding plumage, at Drain Road, Lake Banks Peninsula and the South Canterbury Ellesmere which is very unusual for this time of Coastline. Sheila found 20 Sulphur-crested the year and lends support to the suggestion Cockatoos in Prices Valley. In Okuti Valley she these birds have remained in the country. saw Brown Creeper and a Tomtit, the first she John Allen's sightings at Lake Ellesmere has seen in this valley. At Lake Forsyth she included 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Pectoral counted 13 Royal Spoonbills and 79 Crested Sandpipers, 20 Turnstones and 4 Red Knots. A Grebe, 13 juveniles, and at Lake Ellesmere a few days later Jan and Colin Hill's visit to the Crested Grebe and 48+ Royal Spoonbills. Jan same area included 31 Pacific Golden Plovers had 2 Native Pigeons in her garden, the first beginning to turn colour, many Wrybills still time she has seen two birds together there for not returned North, 25+ Red-necked Stints, 20 years. At the end of the month there were some getting breeding plumage, 25+ Sharpies still Godwits in breeding plumage at Bexley starting to display and have stand-offs, and 2 Wetland and the Glossy Ibis remained at Travis hyrid Stilts. Andrew saw 4 White-winged Wetland. Black Terns at Kaitorete Spit tip and, at the CCC Reserve, Birdlings Lagoon, one Little Tern May: Nick Allen observed 2 Falcons (falcon and feeding with Black-fronted Terns along the tiercel) attacking a Harrier at Hanmer Springs lake shore. and a tiercel, probably the same bird, at the golf course there. David Riddell saw a White Heron March: Steve Wratten found a Little Stint and a Crested Grebe pair with a youngster at among Red-necked Stints in the Clarks area of Lake Forsyth. Peter Langlands found a Greenpark Sands. Some days later Jan, Chestnut Teal at the Avon/Heathcote Estuary, Sheila, Bev and Colin had a good view of the the first he has seen in NZ. (The first South Little Stint (possibly male) amongst other Island record was in January 1993 at Karitane, waders and found 7 Cattle Egrets at Drains Otago and the second was made by Sheila Petch Road. Andrew and Niall Mugan searched for a and Tony Crocker at Kowhai Rivermouth, North “strange” gull sighted by Tim Barnard at Lake Canterbury in August 1993). On 9/10th May Ellesmere, possibly a Laughing Gull or Niall Mugan reported thousands of Silvereyes on Franklins Gull, but found nothing. Sheila the move overnight at New Brighton. They were reported 2 Black Stilts still at Ashley first heard at 10pm and flocks were still moving Rivermouth. At Birdlings Flat on 28th March overhead at 6.30am, all heading north. At Lake Andrew and Niall Mugan saw 12 Arctic Skuas Ellesmere Sheila, Bev and Jan observed a (an increase from 7 seen one week earlier), 38 Pectoral Sandpiper, 4 Red-necked Stints, 2 Black-fronted Terns and 1276 White-fronted White Herons, a Crested Grebe, 3 Mute Swans Terns. At Jarvis/Clarks Road, Lake Ellesmere and a Curlew Sandpiper (3 were seen a few days they found 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 52 Red- before by Steve and Colin, one getting breeding necked Stints, 7 Red Knots and 86 Wrybills. plumage). They also saw a leucistic Goldfinch Colin and Steve Wratten also found 4 amongst thousands of Goldfinches, with only Turnstones at the Lake. At Lower Selwyn Huts yellow and black in the wings and a bit of black Jill Hanna observed a White Heron and 2 in the tail. The face and body were completely Royal Spoonbills and at Lake Road 9 Cattle white. At Drains Road 8 Cattle Egrets were Egrets. observed. Erna Smith saw three Long-tailed 4 The Wrybill - July 2010

Cuckoos in her garden at Methven, feeding in a The Wrybill Logo flowering-cherry tree. Jan reported a bellbird We would like to thank Dianne Parker and Rob sipping nectar from the flowers of a Tree Evans for permission to use as our Logo the Lucerne in her garden, something she had never delightful photo taken by Rob of a nesting seen before and she wrapped up the month with Wrybill. Last Spring Dianne discovered the nest her report of a “small autumn eruption” of Tuis on the Waimakariri River near their home and from Hinewai which were being seen down she and Rob kept a close watch on the nest to Kaitorete Spit, in McQueens Valley near Tai ensure the birds were not disturbed. Tapu and again at Governors Bay. White-flippered Penguins June: At Westlake Reserve, Halswell, Peter saw Chris Challies is happy to take OSNZ members an immature black shag trying to swallow a live on visits to the colony on Godley Head again short-finned eel ~1kg in weight and three other this spring. If you are interested please contact eels in a partially digested state on the ground, Jan, [email protected] suggesting shags can have a significant impact on eel fisheries in smaller water bodies. At the Easter Field Trip June meeting Colin said migrant waders (2 Curlew Sandpipers, a Pectoral Sandpiper and a We had a frustrating day in the Hawdon Valley Sharp-tailed Sandpiper) were still to be found at on Sunday 14th March, trying to see Orange- Lake Ellesmere. Bev reported a Mute Swan at fronted Parakeets as part of a Canterbury OSNZ Northbrook Lake and Cattle Egrets at Waikuku. weekend at Arthur's Pass. We all met up at the Peter said Cape Barren Geese were at Conway shelter at the end of the road before 9am, with Flats and New Zealand Pigeons were being seen our guide for the day John Kearvell, and his in more areas of the city. wife Mabel. John has worked on OFPs for many many years and is an acknowledged expert in finding them. The bad news was that the birds Members Matters had seemingly run out of food. A couple of months previously they had been breeding non- Photo Award: stop for over a year. Now they are quiet, and Congratulations to member, David Hallett, there may be many fewer in the valley - some whose photo below of Godwits arriving back at possibly having left to find some tucker. The South Shore Spit in September 2009 won well birds in the nearby Poulter Valley are still deserved acclaim at the Qantas Media Awards breeding, there being some beech seed still 2010. An “Oh, yes!” photo which captures all around there - but those birds are a 6-hour our feelings for these charismatic birds. tramp in.

Photo: David Hallett Best Single Photo, Qantas Media Awards 2010 5 The Wrybill - July 2010

The birds were doing what they normally do always another time - preferably when they are when not breeding in autumn - following flocks breeding and a nest can be watched. of Brown Creepers (with sometimes other species mixed in). The problem initially was You really have to respect the persistance and finding the Brown Creepers. We were shown a hard work of those people, like John, who study nest hole used just a few months before, right and conserve this species - the birds are hard to next to the main track on the true right of the find and seemingly do their best to make Hawdon River. The sheets of tin and a local identification difficult, before melting away profusion of traps give nesting trees away. silently into the green background. We entered the forest a little after 9am. We found the birds Eventually we found a Brown Creeper flock, about 3pm. I left the forest foot-sore after a after transferring from the main track (actually rather frustrating day, but one where I learnt the A trap-line) to the next trap line at the base quite a bit about bird-watching in the bush and of the slope - the B trap line. After getting onto a parakeet behaviour. couple of parakeets, the disappointment was they were only Yellow-crowns. We walked the B The wasp sting is still itching..." line to Unknown Stream, which was a little on the dessicated side, before lunch, encountering Nick Allen another couple of Brown Creeper flocks on the way, and 3 of the team getting stung by wasps Rock Wren after one of us stepped on a wasp nest when venturing off-track. [Fortunately Nick had a Sadly hopeful birders on the Branch Field Trip at supply of anti-histamine tablets. That's what Easter failed to see Rock Wren in the Otira you get when a Pharmacist comes along – Jan]. Valley, in spite of detailed information on their location. Rob Lawrence had previously found After lunch an hour or so was spent on the other birds amongst the large boulders at the entrance side of Unknown Stream looking for a lone male to the upper valley and Warren Jowett, another Yellowhead which lives there in the area frustrated birder in seach of Rock Wren, between lines B and C. In spring it sings its reported that according to DoC, two families heart out apparently and is easy to find. In were in the valley, one at the footbridge and autumn and winter it ranges through the red another with four young birds (in February) at beech there with Brown Creepers - but we found the rock garden 30 minutes above the bridge. A neither, nor any OFPs. We headed back out of pair could also be found at the top of the 4WD the valley along the B line listening for Brown track up to the Rock Garden in Temple Basin. Creepers. Eventually a large flock was found and followed on track by most, off track by The good news is that this year has produced John, who was joined by Sue. A shout went up quite a rash of Rock Wren sightings. It seems and John and Sue, who were walking back to that this little bird can be most elusive until it the track having given up, had got incredible decides to show itself, when it will come very views of an OFP. The problem was joining them close for quite some time with no appearance of as the group scrambled over fallen trees being nervous. In April Rob and I were brushing aside bush-lawyer. By the time we got tramping on Lewis Tops above the Lewis Pass, a there the birds had, naturally, scarpered and trip we have done many times. Six years ago blended into the greenery. relatives saw Rock Wren in the alpine scrub and rocks under the Grand Duchess Range, but Thus reluctantly we followed the B line further seeing is believing for me and not having down the valley. The Brown Creeper flock being observed them myself I was doubtful! This time, ahead - and probably parakeets with it. Another we had barely sat down in the sun to wait and 10 minutes and either the same birds, or maybe watch when a first male bird appeared. 70 others were seen from the track, three-quarters metres further west in a separate rock fall two of the way up a mountain beech. Some saw the birds, one male and one female, also entertained orange stripe of one bird - most had to be us. It was great to confirm Rock Wren are still content (me included) with seeing the bird, but living in an area where the last official recording not its most distinctive feature. Oh well, there's was in 1982. 6 The Wrybill - July 2010

In early April Udo Benecke reported seeing a pair whilst on a family trip to Chancellor Hut Tui Translocation Update above Fox Glacier, at ~1450m. He watched for half an hour as they “hopped, ran, flitted,” It's been another busy month for our Peninsula catching insects on the ground amongst the tui, and an equally busy month for tui-spotters boulders and herbfield vegetation, apparently In May we had over 200 reports of tui (heard, unconcerned by his presence after an initial seen or radio-tracked)! Since 1st May, 29 of the cautious look. Then, at the end of May, Vern 2010 releasees have been sighted or tracked, and Louise Pearson were hunting above the along with at least 16 of the 2009 releasees. bush line when they saw two pairs of Rock Even more encouraging have been the frequent Wren, one at ~1400m and the other at sightings of unbanded juvenile birds, hatched on ~1500m, “bouncing around in the creeks of the the Peninsula over the summer, who are lower Gunn River”, a tributary of the Whataroa mingling with released birds and, in some cases, River on the West Coast. starting to warm up their vocal chords.

The Narbeys' property and sugar-water feeders in Long Bay continue to be extremely popular with birds from both releases and an assortment of rowdy fledglings. On one morning trip during May, I identified 22 different banded tui plus a bare minimum of 3 unbanded youngsters. According to the Narbeys that's a pretty typical morning, so they must be going through several pounds of sugar a week! Tricia Hewlett has also spotted several birds in an apple tree at the Otanerito homestead, including regular visitors Photo: Louise and Vern Pearson Mahina (who appears to be quite "bossy!") and Female Rock Wren in Gunn River Ila. Radio-tracking data and sightings suggest After seeing these tiny birds, one has to wonder that many of the birds spending time in Long how they survive through the winter at this Bay/Otanerito are regularly commuting between altitude, above the bush line and exposed to there and Akaroa. Mingus, who spent some time rain, snow, winds and bitterly cold in Wainui in early May, has returned to Akaroa temperatures. The answer is that no-one really for the time being. knows, although in the past Birding NZ has had a spate of correspondence on the matter. Akaroa residents have been kept on their toes by Suggestions that Rock Wrens become torpid or an ever-expanding horde of town-loving tui. At hibernate, which one writer said would put first, sightings were typically of single birds them at great risk of predation, or that they go (usually Manu). Then Manu began travelling to lower levels or to the bush line, have never with an entourage (at least 2 fledglings, and been substantiated. Graeme Taylor has checked sometimes an additional unidentified adult), and under the scrub and rocks where the birds are by the end of May, groups of 6 were roaming found in summer and found “a subterranean around the Smith Street/Rue Balguerie area, world of tunnels and open spaces under the feasting on Coprosma berries and snow”. Ian Southey summed things up by Banksia nectar. Manu gives regular virtuoso saying he believes Rock Wrens remain on site singing concerts and some of the young birds are all year round in their “stunningly well attempting to do the same, with little success. insulated nests – like a down sleeping bag... Getting the right mix of gurgles, chimes and Maybe they are sometimes active under the wheezes does take a lot of practice, so hopefully snow or when they can get out and maybe the locals won't mind a bit of awkward noise sometimes torpid.” And as Ian says, actually between now and next spring. At the moment, finding out what they do would be “another of it looks like there are three reasonably distinct those great facts of New Zealand ornithology.” groups of tui in town - one in the Rue Balguerie area, one near the top of Muter Street, and a Ann Sherlock couple of solo birds who frequent Glen Bay and 7 The Wrybill - July 2010

Garden of Tane. John Warham 1909 –2010

We wish to pay tribute to Dr John Warham, the internationally renowned ornithologist and wildlife photographer, who has died at the age of 90. Dr Warham was born and brought up in England; he began work as a laboratory assistant in 1937, served in the British Army in WWII and after a brief return to work in Britain, he and his wife travelled through Australia as amateur environmentalists and conservationists. They explored the country from 1952-1961 in a termite-proofed ex-RAF Bedford truck, recording and researching wildlife, mainly birds, financing their work by selling articles and photographs. They visited many offshore Photo: Lew Matthews islands pursuing a special interest in seabirds, One of Manu's virtuoso singing concerts writing up their findings in ornithological In addition to the multiple sightings coming in journals. Some years ago Dr Warham spoke to from Akaroa and Otanerito, we've had reports of our Branch about their survey of breeding birds tui from other areas around the Peninsula, on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. including Takamatua, French Farm (the first tui one resident had seen there for 59 years), and In 1961 Dr Warham studied for a degree in "quite a chubby little fellow" (unbanded) in Le zoology at Durham University and after Bons Bay. Two tui were sighted on two graduating in 1965 returned to NZ as a lecturer consecutive days at Kaitorete Spit, and at least at the University of Canterbury. He completed two were spotted flying overhead in Diamond a PhD at UoC in 1973. Dr Warham's major Harbour. Single tui have been reported from the research work was a continuation of earlier Christchurch suburbs of Richmond, Beckenham, work on penguins started at Macquarie Island. Opawa, Westhaven, and Fendalton, but we can't He organised and led a series of expeditions to confirm whether these city birds originated with the Antipodes, Snares and Campbell Islands. the Peninsula release. It's certainly possible, however, as we do have one confirmed sighting John Warham retired from his position as of a 2010 releasee in Governors Bay. The first Reader in Zoology in 1985. The University of Governors Bay sighting reported was on 21 May, Durham conferred on him an honorary Doctor but we don't know whether there is only one of Science degree for his seabird research. He bird or multiple birds in the area. The confirmed published a two-volume synthesis on petrel tui has been identified as Hebe. She has biology – The Petrels: Their Ecology and certainly covered a lot of ground since her Breeding Systems, and The Behaviour, March release; she was spotted at the Narbeys' Population Biology and Physiology of the in April and early May, photographed in Akaroa Petrels. His last project was a key-worded on May 20th and photographed in Governors bibliography of petrels, a 5,000 page work Bay on June 2nd, where she was also sighted on containing 14,387 citations from Aristotle to the 6th June. present. Dr Warham received many prestigious awards and medals. He was made a Fellow of All in all, a very encouraging month in spite of the Ornithological Society in 1999 and a the wet, windy weather! As always, many thanks Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in to Rob Grigg and John McIlroy for collecting and 2001 for services to ornithology. compiling the Akaroa information - it may be a very busy winter! Our sincere condolences go to his wife, Pat.

Dr Laura Molles Jane Lucas assisted by John Warham Lecturer in Vertebrate Biology

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OSNZ Polo Shirts and Hats A Bit of History...

Waikato Branch are fundraising by selling From John Hurley good quality cotton polo shirts, sizes Small (52cm), Medium (56cm), Large (58cm), XL My grandfather was Oliver Hunter, who planted (62cm) (true sizings), in moss, white, navy Church Gully in Church Bay. I used to spend and light blue, cost $35, and hats, sizes my holidays with him and his second wife, Medium-Large and Large-XL, dark blue and Mabel. He was an amateur naturalist and had a dark green, cost $19. If interested, please nature column in the Lyttelton Times. From him send your order, with payment, to Jan I was introduced to the creatures of the Gully - Walker, 305 Kennedys Bush Road, the bats, geckos, lizards, woodhen, kaka and a Christchurch 8025. There is no postal charge German owl which preyed on the native if you can collect your order from Jan. If pigeons, and the eels and kokapu which lived in you prefer home delivery, please add $5 the stream. Olie was also a great story teller. postage for polo shirt (and hat if required), This is a story he told me about his father after I or $3 for hat only, multi orders $5. had taken him for a drive along the Summit Road which, with a little persuasion, he wrote out for The Press who published it on 23rd February 1974:

”Just above us as we passed through Pigeon Bay the other day, perched two beautiful blue-green native pigeons. They were special because Pigeon Bay was named after their species. And they brought to mind the wonderful affinity there once was between the birds of Banks Peninsula and those of Westland, as native birds from the West Coast forest migrated to the peninsula in the autumn, following the ripening of numerous coloured berries and forest fruits.

Wildlife Rehabiltators Network They came every season to spend winter on the of NZ (WReNNZ) sunny slopes of the peninsula, Pigeon Bay being Conference the main choice for the kereru. These birds were there in thousands, as were the colourful 7/8th August 2010 kakas; and lovely smaller birds of great Antarctic Centre Christchurch importance to the health of New Zealand forests. But they were burnt out, shot out, killed by vermin and so on until they became very rare For those involved in Avian Vet practice on Banks Peninsula. The kaka became DOC Staff, Rehabers and those interested in especially rare and it is uncommon to hear many Wildlife. native wood pigeons about the peninsula today. However, there are still a few about as I Speakers and Workshops was glad to see. Native bird care Husbandry, first aid etc But it was a different situation in the early days In keeping with the new minimum standards there as on the West Coast. My father was a miner at Ross over 105 years ago and after his For further Information & Registration death I found ample evidence of the abundance Please Contact Jackie Stevenson of native birds which were there. The poor Ph. 03 3831488 harmless native birds of the Westland bush were Email [email protected] so tame that they took little notice of human beings and when they fed on the low branches 9 The Wrybill - July 2010 of the trees that bore the fruit they liked, the found. miners had only to take a heavy stick – called a waddie – and knock them off the branches. These incidents demonstrated to me the ease with which miners and others in those early days Not only pigeons but kakas too were very tame slaughtered so many of our native birds, and being birds of a fair size they were believing, as my father said, that they would be welcome to the miners for their eating value ever plentiful.” and feathers. Miners had feather mattresses Thanks to Tina Troup for bring this item to our made of them. My parents slept on a feather attention. Ed mattress in their old home at Church Bay and after my father died I was sent out by my mother to empty and burn the feathers. Lo and Hutton's Shearwater Colony behold, when I tipped the mattress out the predominant feathers were the beautiful blue- The project to create a third colony on Kaikoura green pigeon feathers, white feathers from their Peninsula progresses well. There will be an breasts, woodhen feathers and the beautiful update next issue. In the meantime you can kaka ones – pink, red, green, yellow and soft support the ongoing work of the Trust by grey. becoming a Friend and receiving their newsletter. (Individual $15; Family $20; The last kaka I saw on Banks Pensinsula was a Corporate $100 or Life $250) Please send your solitary one up Monument Gully in Purau. cheque to Hutton's Shearwater Charitable Trust, Kaka did not seem to migrate so much as the PO Box 58, Kaikoura 7340 wood pigeon. In fact we came to regard them more as blown-away birds from the West Coast and I had what seemed to be proof of that on two occasions. There had been a heavy storm and the wind was still high. My father, brother Canterbury Region Contacts and I were working along Church Bay beach when we heard the call of the kaka. My father, Regional Representative: Jan Walker immediately returning to the art of his younger 305 Kennedys Bush Rd, Christchurch 8025 days, applied his thumb and fingers between his Ph 322 7187 teeth and whistled, imitating its joyous flute- Email: [email protected] like call. The bird fluttering high overhead heard and came down like a stone. Father kept Secretary: Nick Allen calling and the bird settled in the nearest small 11 Seagrave Place, Burnside, Christchurch gum tree, near where we were repairing a boat Ph 358 5994 on a slip. The bird took a good look at us, as Email: [email protected] we did at it, and remained there for a time before flying away. Regional Recorder: Bev Alexander 63 Golding Ave, Rangiora 7400 On another occasion we were coming through Ph 03 313 7009 Church Gully by a short cut from the back Email: [email protected] paddock and had just passed what we call “the lasses' gate” on the narrow track home when Treasurer: Barrie Armstrong my brother heard the call overhead of a blown- 75 Hackthorne Road, Cashmere, Christchurch away kaka. My father was carrying home a Ph 942 478 load of red-berry coprosma for firewood. He Email: [email protected] stopped in his track, leaned against a rock and let the coprosma rest back against the bank. He The Wrybill Editor: Ann Sherlock put his fingers between his teeth and whistled 102b Knowles Street, St Albans, Chch 8052 the kaka call again. Down came the kaka as Ph 355 4194 father whistled and settled in the dead branch Email: [email protected] alongside his bearded face, looking long and hard for its mate. But there was no mate to be 1 0